What would you do if you’re a comedian who developed and starred in the most popular sitcom of the 1990s (and of all time), and its run ends after nearly a decade on the air?
For some comedians, it could mean semi-retirement, a return to their stand-up roots by doing arena tours and performing in clubs, or write books.
That’s what Jerry Seinfeld did after his landmark NBC sitcom “Seinfeld” went off the air in 1998. However, he decided to return to television with a new streaming series that only someone of his caliber could get away with a premise for a TV series that on the surface sounds so mundane. Get this: Seinfeld would invite several of his numerous fellow comedian friends for a ride in a car of a certain make, model and year (the more offbeat and obscure the better), as they chat with each other on a number of topics, and then stop at a restaurant or coffee shop to continue this conversation over a cup of coffee … literally!
Talk about a TV show about nothing … but taken to the next level (and on wheels, too).
But Seinfeld pulled it off and the end result was his hit streaming series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, which made its debut on Crackle in 2012, and can now be seen on Netflix. The fact that he managed to get such a high caliber of comedian friends to ride along with him was quite an accomplishment. They included Eddie Murphy, Sarah Silverman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Lorne Michaels, Larry David, Bill Burr, Tina Fey, Jerry Lewis, Jimmy Fallon and Garry Shandling (in his final on-screen appearance).
However, the celebrities and the wide variety of cars used were not the only things that were attractive about the show. The chatting and gabbing that went on between Seinfeld and his guests – whether they be on the road or in a restaurant/coffee shop – was just as captivating. And Seinfeld has put together the highlights from these comic coffee klatches in book form called – simply enough – The Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee Book.
The book offers many highlights from the show’s 11 seasons, including photos from the series with Jerry and his comedic guests behind the wheel and having the titular coffee. But the core of the book are the conversations, which are divided into the topics that were discussed such as favorite comedians, styles of comedy, showbiz beginnings, music, food, sports, and even the Seinfeld sitcom.
What is so impressive when you read the book and watch the series, is how these comedians, when they are in a more relaxed, informal setting, gives them the opportunity to talk more candidly, openly and honestly. For example, Eddie Murphy on why Mark Twain is regarded as the very first stand-up comic, his choices for who is on his Mount Rushmore of comedy, and his deteriorating relationship with Bill Cosby (whom he remarked was not a nice person at all); then there’s Jerry Lewis on why he considered actress Kathleen Freeman as an important part of a number of his movies (in which she appeared in 13 of them); Mel Brooks divulges some great behind the scenes stories, including when he wanted Dustin Hoffman to portray the Franz Liebkind character in The Producers, but wasn’t able to, because he was auditioning for a part in a Mike Nichols film that also featured Brooks’ wife Anne Bancroft (which ended up being The Graduate); and there is the poignant moment with Garry Shandling, who gave a spiritual explanation to comedy material, in which he told Seinfeld that it was “purely a vehicle for you to express your spirit. And your soul. And your being.”
As well, there is an episode guide that outlines each guest, the general theme of that conversation, and the car that was used, such as a 1958 Cadillac Eldorado (Don Rickles), a 1950 Citroen (Gad Elmaleh), and a 1976 Ford Country Squire (Sarah Jessica Parker).
The Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee Book is a fun scrapbook of another unique TV series from the mind of Jerry Seinfeld. It proves what fascinating conversations can evolve when you offer a comedian a car ride and a cup of coffee.
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